Pulse
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December 19, 2025
Prime minister announces Quebec Court of Appeal judge to be next deputy attorney general of Canada
In an unusual and surprising move, Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that a current federal puisne judge, Justice Marie-Josée Hogue of the Quebec Court of Appeal, will become deputy minister of justice and deputy attorney general of Canada “early in the new year.”
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December 19, 2025
Stikeman Elliott adds 6 new associates in Montreal
Stikeman Elliott LLP has added six first-year associates to its Montreal office following their recent call to the Quebec bar, the firm announced.
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December 19, 2025
Woods adds litigators Aliya Behar and Basma El Farouk
Woods LLP has added Aliya Behar and Basma El Farouk to its litigation team in Montreal following their call to the Quebec bar, the firm announced.
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December 19, 2025
Lawyering lessons learned at Santa’s knee
I did not know until a recent experience at my local Tim Hortons that there are striking similarities between judges and Santa Clauses. I was sipping my medium double double when I overhead a group of young children sitting at an adjacent table having a chat. They sounded a lot like lawyers at the pub sizing up judges. I listened keenly.
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December 19, 2025
The Friendly Bar Series, No. 14: Remembering the ‘why’ — A Friendly Bar reflection
As the year comes to a close, it is natural to reflect on our work, our choices and the reasons we entered this profession. Lawyers often get caught chasing success, recognition, or the next case milestone and, in doing so, lose sight of the deeper purpose that first drew them to law.
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December 19, 2025
Buffone’s parole: A step toward exoneration?
In what may seem like Part II of a never-ending saga, the Parole Board of Canada granted Vito Buffone day parole to a community residential facility yet to be named.
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December 19, 2025
A season for sharing: The legal and moral case for ensuring everyone has enough food at Christmas
Every Christmas, families across Canada gather around warm meals that symbolize dignity, community and care. Yet for many households in Alberta and across the country, rising costs and winter pressures make it difficult to afford even the most basic groceries. Food insecurity turns what should be a season of comfort into a time of anxiety.
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December 19, 2025
Manitoba Court of Appeal tasked with determining psychological detention
Psychological detention occurs when a person submits to a police officer’s authority or is deprived of liberty, reasonably believing the choice to do otherwise does not exist (R. v. Tessier, 2022 SCC 35). One would expect that raising psychological detention on appeal from conviction would be a simple, fact-driven analysis. Yet the Manitoba Court of Appeal took 256 paragraphs to rule out psychological detention as a basis for Charter relief. The court’s reasons are in R. v. Francois, 2025 MBCA 93.
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December 18, 2025
Darwish A. Chahbar joins McCague Borlack as associate
McCague Borlack LLP has added Darwish A. Chahbar as an associate in its London, Ont., office.
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December 18, 2025
Torys announces new partners and counsel for 2026
Torys LLP has promoted seven lawyers to partner and four lawyers to counsel, the firm has announced.